Any one using Jessops Auto/AF Tubes on Alpha ?

shotokan101 · 09-03-2010, 3:53 PM

Just picked up a set of Jessops Branded AF/M Auto Extension Tubes for Minolta/Sony AF Fit and having problems getting anything other than full manual mode to work.

Anyone got these working successfully ?

I've tried each of the three tubes individually with same result - unless camera set to manual it won't fire and gives "no lens attached" message.

I've tried with a variety of lenses - no change.

Tubes are pretty simple - these ones have 5 pins that I guess are supposed to "relay" the camera electronics to/from the lens contacts.

Can't figure out how it wouldn't work.

Did notice that the Kenko branded ones seem to have 8 contact pins - like the newer lenses.

Any ideas ?

Thanks,

Jim

mickey · 09-03-2010, 9:52 PM

hi Jim, i would say they may work with sony in manual, but the other 3 pins that are missing are for the sony side of things auto focus?. jmo.Mike

shotokan101 · 09-03-2010, 9:55 PM

Hi Mike - I think it should at least report/change aperture and accept that possibly the "missing" pins might affect AF - although I have some Minolta lenses that only have the 5 contacts that work fully - just don't report ADI info for advanced flash setting etc.... after all to work in manual no pins are required at all and a £10 set would do fine....

Jim

mickey · 09-03-2010, 10:05 PM

sorry misread again,by manual I thought you meant Focusing, but surely whatever pins are on your sony lens/camera should be mirrored on the tubes, If not then i would not of thought them truely compatable. Mike

shotokan101 · 09-03-2010, 10:46 PM

Yes the 5 pins definitely seem to "map" to 5 of the body contacts

Jim

mickey · 09-03-2010, 11:15 PM

now dont be silly, you mention 8 pins on the kenko tubes, so i presumed you camera has 8 pins, yes?, surely so should your cheap tubes

.Mike

shotokan101 · 09-03-2010, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickey

now dont be silly, you mention 8 pins on the kenko tubes, so i presumed you camera has 8 pins, yes?, surely so should your cheap tubes

.Mike

NO - the camera has 8 pins - as do all modern Sony Alphas - older Minolta/Konica lenses only had 5 pins and they work fine with the new Alpha models - hence the tubes only have 5 pins which seem to match the pin positions on the older lenses..... and the tubes weren't "that" cheap - just not the £120 for the Kenko

Jim

mickey · 09-03-2010, 11:51 PM

all I can think of then is maybe the pins on the tube are not contacting at either the camera end or the lens end, now dont get shirty kenko £120 yours less £££ than that =Cheaper = cheap, no offence meant

. Mike

mickey · 09-03-2010, 11:54 PM

depending on how brave you are

, you could put a dab of paint on the pins of the tube, connect the lens and see if all pins have paint on them when you remove the lens. MIke

shotokan101 · 09-03-2010, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickey

all I can think of then is maybe the pins on the tube are not contacting at either the camera end or the lens end, now dont get shirty kenko £120 yours less £££ than that =Cheaper = cheap, no offence meant

. Mike

No "shirtiness" involved or intended Mike

Your electronics logic is flawless - I've even "buzzed" out each of the tube pins and they - unsurprisingly - check out.

I might have accepted this from one of the three tubes but all three ?

Just curious reall if anyone else is actually using these successfully - I know Jessops discontinued them a while back....

JIm

shotokan101 · 10-03-2010, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickey

depending on how brave you are

, you could put a dab of paint on the pins of the tube, connect the lens and see if all pins have paint on them when you remove the lens. MIke

...lol - there's "brave" and then there's "daft" - at least at the camera end

...I actually think the lens end is probably "O.K." - it's the camera end that seems to have the contact pads with a smaller surface area....

Jim

mickey · 10-03-2010, 12:04 AM

tbh Jim i would be more inclines to just think it is because your sony slr is too modern for them, I have been trying to find a cheap small flash for my 5d but all the writeups i have seen on the web for the ones i have been looking at mention having to be firmware flashed to work on the mk2 so maybe the tubes are meant for the older sony slrs.just a thought. Mike

mickey · 10-03-2010, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotokan101

...lol - there's "brave" and then there's "daft" - at least at the camera end

...I actually think the lens end is probably "O.K." - it's the camera end that seems to have the contact pads with a smaller surface area....

Jim

dont be a wuss, What happened to the Braveheart Mentality

. Mike

TonyH · 10-03-2010, 12:09 AM

Im not 100% sure what the problem is? do the tubes have the slot thing to transfer the focus motor rotation to the lens. If not then they will never auto focus, it does sound like the pins are not contacting somewhere or other, and the number of pins makes no difference.

shotokan101 · 10-03-2010, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickey

dont be a wuss, What happened to the Braveheart Mentality

. Mike

He got hung drawn and quartered

I don't think it's likely a compatibility issue as thye pins just seem to make a "pass through" between the camera body and the lens contacts - nothing sophisticated at all - that's partly what's "doing my nut in"

Jim

shotokan101 · 10-03-2010, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyH

Im not 100% sure what the problem is? do the tubes have the slot thing to transfer the focus motor rotation to the lens. If not then they will never auto focus, it does sound like the pins are not contacting somewhere or other, and the number of pins makes no difference.

Thanks Tony - not realy sure what you mena about the "slot" thing TBH - there is a slot in addition to the pins that has a freely moving little metal lever - i assumed that was aperture related as the AF is electrical - isn't it ?

Jim

Ibcus · 10-03-2010, 12:23 AM

The in body AF is driven by a small grub screw type thing on the camera lens mount at about 5 o'clock looking from the front, if the tubes don't pass this on the lens can't auto focus.
If you press the lens release button (with no lens on) you will see it move in and out.

Are you sure they are not just AF confirm tubes?

shotokan101 · 10-03-2010, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibcus

The in body AF is driven by a small grub screw type thing on the camera lens mount at about 5 o'clock looking from the front, if the tubes don't pass this on the lens can't auto focus.
If you press the lens release button (with no lens on) you will see it move in and out.

Are you sure they are not just AF confirm tubes?

Just had a look at the camera mount and the lens mount - never noticed that before

The tubes definitely don't have the mechanics to pass that on so must just be intended to be AF - Confirm as you say - must check out some photos of the kenko ones....

Will see if I can post a couple of pics...

Jim

shotokan101 · 10-03-2010, 1:18 AM

Some pics from my P&S of the tubes in question

Jim

TonyH · 10-03-2010, 2:39 AM

sounds like you have tubes with the aperture control but no autofocus, can't really tell by the pictures they are are a bit dark in the centre. To be honest you do not need AF on macro tubes the focus should be manual and generally done by moving the camera back and forward.

I also think that the M/AF indicates the mount type i.e. minolta AF and not manual or auto focus.

shotokan101 · 10-03-2010, 12:26 PM

Certainly look like it Tony and as you say AF isn't that important

Jim

thom_vee · 01-04-2010, 5:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotokan101

Just picked up a set of Jessops Branded AF/M Auto Extension Tubes for Minolta/Sony AF Fit and having problems getting anything other than full manual mode to work.

Anyone got these working successfully ?

I've tried each of the three tubes individually with same result - unless camera set to manual it won't fire and gives "no lens attached" message.

I've tried with a variety of lenses - no change.

Tubes are pretty simple - these ones have 5 pins that I guess are supposed to "relay" the camera electronics to/from the lens contacts.

Can't figure out how it wouldn't work.

Did notice that the Kenko branded ones seem to have 8 contact pins - like the newer lenses.

Any ideas ?

Thanks,

Jim

Hi Jim,
I just bought the same jessops tubes and cant get it to work on my Sony A550 as well. It certainly seems to slot in and align with the electronic contacts on the camera. No idea why it doesnt work. Please do let me know if you can find a work around.

Pirate!! · 01-04-2010, 6:31 PM

No. Better off with dedicated macro than Jessops re-branded cast-off tubes. Make for nice door stops or paper weights though. 5 pins went out with Noah . . . . surely you checked?

thom_vee · 01-04-2010, 6:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pirate!!

No. Better off with dedicated macro than Jessops re-branded cast-off tubes. Make for nice door stops or paper weights though. 5 pins went out with Noah . . . . surely you checked?

I am buying a dedicated macro, the tubes were to supplement that to get larger than 1:1. Yes, 5 pins may have gone out, but they work just as fine nontheless, I have several Minolta lenses which have 5 pins and have no problem with them.

Pirate!! · 01-04-2010, 9:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thom_vee

I have several Minolta lenses which have 5 pins and have no problem with them.

As do I . . . . so maybe there's something in the fact that high street rebrands aint cutting the mustard. Shame, as some tubes produce great results.

shotokan101 · 02-04-2010, 12:51 AM

HI - my jessops tubes I've found actuallywork with some lenses - possibly all but need to receheck some - I seem to have one of the three tubes (the largest one) that doesn not connect property - the other two relay the connections properly - at least on some lenses.

Will recheck my lens collection using the tubes that seem to work.

Recomment checking a lens with each tube individually.

Jim

OrbitalPete · 02-04-2010, 7:10 AM

Autofocus is bugger all use using tubes anyway.

thom_vee · 02-04-2010, 9:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shotokan101

HI - my jessops tubes I've found actuallywork with some lenses - possibly all but need to receheck some - I seem to have one of the three tubes (the largest one) that doesn not connect property - the other two relay the connections properly - at least on some lenses.

Will recheck my lens collection using the tubes that seem to work.

Recomment checking a lens with each tube individually.

Jim

Wow that is encouraging news. I only have my minolta 35-70 lens with me now. Hoping to buy the tammy 90mm soon, but otherwise I wont have access to my lenses for atleast another week. None of my three tubes connect. Do u have a tamron 90mm by any chance and if so is that one of the lenses it works with? (fingers crossed!)

shotokan101 · 02-04-2010, 9:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thom_vee

Wow that is encouraging news. I only have my minolta 35-70 lens with me now. Hoping to buy the tammy 90mm soon, but otherwise I wont have access to my lenses for atleast another week. None of my three tubes connect. Do u have a tamron 90mm by any chance and if so is that one of the lenses it works with? (fingers crossed!)

No - sorry - no tamron 90mm - I have the AF lenses below :-

Minolta Dynax Mount

Minolta AF 35-70MM/F4-5.6
Minolta AF 35-80MM/F4-5.6
Minolta AF 75-300MM/F4.5-5.6
Minolta AF 50MM/F1.7

Tamron AF 28-80MM/F3.5-5.6

Sigma AF 28-105MM/F4-5.6
Sigma AF 100-300MM/F4.5-6.7

Sony Alpha A Mount

Sony AF 18-55MM/F3.5-5.6
Tamron AF 70-300MM/F4-5.6

So I do have "a" Tamron (or two) and will test that shortly with one of my working tubes and let you know

Jim

shotokan101 · 02-04-2010, 10:27 AM

O.K. - just had a quick whistlestop tour of my lens collection and the "results are in"

It looks fairly conclusive now - once you find a "5 pin extension tube" that works it will seemingly work ONLY with leses with 5 connectors and NOT with any that have the newer 8 contacts.

My working tube gives shutter and aperture control and AF confirmation feedback on all my "5 pin" lenses irrespective of brand.

HTH

Now I just need to do a bit more detective work to try and figure out what's wrong with the other two tube sizes LOL - "good" news is that I can stack tubes provided the "working one" is the one connected to the camera body.....

Jim